Notes from the Haramayn

Last year, together with some friends, we visited Mecca and Medina under the concept of a "Sīrah ʿUmrah." It was a program filled with conversations and discussions, where we talked about every event in the life of the Prophet (ﷺ) on location. Due to high demand for a similar experience, we repeated the program this year between February 5th and 14th. I would like to share some notes from our visits, which totaled 10 days:

• We traveled from Istanbul first to Medina. The practical reason for this was that there were more opportunities to have group discussions in and around the Prophet's Mosque. The unique intensity and pace of Mecca, after all, do not permit such an opportunity.

• Medina was, as always, serene, peaceful, and filled with tranquility. This extraordinary atmosphere of the city, which invariably embraces every visitor, is explained by Islamic historians as a blessing for having welcomed the Prophet (ﷺ). Still, I noticed that the winds of modern times have begun to reach even here. For instance, there was a crowd in front of places popularized on social media. The footprints of Instagram influencers could be seen in the side streets.

• Many sites, whose visitation was previously considered "problematic" or at least not encouraged, have now been rapidly opened up to visitors. Historical wells dating back to the Prophet's time, for example, are seeing a flood of visitors. Likewise, the surroundings of the Qiblatayn and Qubā' mosques have been equipped with cafes and spaces for rest, food, and drink. For those who remember Medina 15-20 years ago, these are dizzying developments. Will the focus of visits be worship, or "spending quality time"? This is a very vital and critical question.

• Following the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ), after entering the state of iḥrām and intending ʿUmrah at the Dhul-Ḥulayfah Mīqāt Mosque, we wanted to visit Badr. However, due to a tragic accident last November where a bus collided with an oil tanker, resulting in the death of 45 Indian Muslims, access to Badr has been severely restricted. So, we proceeded directly to Mecca.

• As the month of Ramaḍān was about to begin, Mecca was getting increasingly crowded. Nevertheless, we performed our ʿUmrahs comfortably and then returned to our routine pace of worship and visitation.

• A feeling that occasionally surfaced within me in Medina became completely concrete in Mecca: The times of "spiritual depth and contemplation" in the Ḥaramayn are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. From now on, it seems, things will pass with the rush to perform worship and fulfill duties as much as possible. With the increase in transportation and accommodation options, literally floods of people are pouring into the Ḥijāz. Especially in Mecca, it's impossible to withdraw to a corner and be quietly alone. Sentences beginning with, "While sitting right across from the Golden Water Spout, gazing at the Kaaba…" will now find their place only in books. Like a legend…

• The phenomenon of "commercialization" we encountered at historical sites in Medina was also true for Mecca. The base of the Cave of Ḥirā, which the former Saudi understanding deemed as "having no religious basis for climbing," is now filled with restaurants, cafes, and shopping areas. It is said that a cable car project is on the agenda for "easy" access to the cave. Roads are now being built to the Cave of Thawr, which we reached years ago with a climb lasting exactly 2.5 hours; climbing there will also become "easy." You will sip your drinks at the cafes below, shop to your heart's content at the souvenir shops, and then go up to "experience" the Hijrah. Seeing the current state of Ḥirā and Thawr, I couldn't help but say, "Thank goodness I walked these paths in their earlier times."

• I also said to my travel companions: Comfort is a very serious test. For amidst all this glitter and pleasure, there is also a soul-deadening aspect. Muslims who will visit Mecca and Medina from now on will primarily have to cope with the test of keeping their hearts alive and not succumbing to the distractions of the world.